The eyes of world public opinion on the forest fires in the Amazon region, there are around the globe, devastating fires. 16 million were registered in 2019 already, but the damages are very different.
Forest fire season in the southern hemisphere: The FIRMS map NASA shows the largest fires in the world
The best Overview of the world’s fires, there is without a doubt from the All. A key function of the “Earth Observing System Data and Information System” (EOSDIS) of NASA.
A dense satellite network is registered by all of the current fires around the globe. Spectroradiometer (MODIS) provide images in medium resolution and Radiometer (VIIRS) make infrared recordings, with which the extent, the intensity, the heat generated and the development of a forest fire can comparatively accurately analyze.
This real-time data, the “Fire Information for Resource Management System” (FIRMS) of the NASA platforms such as the environmental protection organization “Global Forest Watch”, which all process the data in descriptive cards.
Fire is raging in the world
The “fire map of the world” from Global Forest Watch shows clearly, how many, some even extremely destructive fires, there are currently, you will not experience a similar media attention as the fires in the Amazon.
The same applies for the devastating fires in southern Africa. Last week alone, around 110,000 were in the Congo and in Angola 135.000 fire registered. Also in Zambia, the satellite would have a list of approximately 73,000 fires, in Tanzania, more than 24,000 and in Mozambique, nearly 40,000 fires.
Last week alone, around 110,000 were in the Congo and in Angola 135.000 fire registered.
In Asia it’s burning mainly in Mongolia and in Indonesia, where the satellite register around 18,500 fires. More than 22,500 of fires in Australia.
Also in the North, it burns
Is not affected but only the southern hemisphere, the annual has to fight in the summer months, with fierce forest fires. In the Arctic it has been burning for about a month and so violently as for a long time. A huge fire raging in Alaska and in the canadian province of British Columbia.
Also worrying the weeks since ongoing fires in the Siberian Taiga, which have extended to more than 130,000 square kilometers, roughly the size of Greece.
More than 130,000 square miles are burning in the Siberian Taiga
A closer look at the Numbers
Overall, Global Forest Watch Fires has registered this year, already more than 16 million fires worldwide. But the sheer number of fires is not says a lot about the damage it can cause.
Every year, around 30 to 40 million square kilometers of land from burning, which, however, has often little influence on the people and, accordingly, barely (medial) is registered. So about 70 percent of the burned area in savannas are. Also in this Ecosystem, periodic fires are part of the natural cycle, and you have a cleansing renewal effect.
Forest fires in rain forests, however, have extremely fatal consequences, because in addition to the species richness in the plant-bound nutrients are lost and only largely infertile soils remain.
Impressive pictures of the extent of supplies to the International space station ISS, about 400 kilometers altitude.
So beautiful and so terrible, the astronauts on the ISS see the fires in the Amazon region
Fiery Trend
A perspective view of the risk of forest fires will increase due to climate change in each of the regions dramatically. Mainly affected the Great Plains (English “Great plains”) to the East of the Rocky Mountains in North America, Brazil, the southern Mediterranean, the Iberian Peninsula, Central Asia, and southern Africa. In addition, the fire emitted greenhouse gases will increase global warming and thus the risk of forest fires even further.